


Bewildered

by demonsushi01



Series: Stoneheart: Side Stories [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Confessions gone wrong, F/M, Love Confessions, Other, Second-Hand Embarrassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26038945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01
Summary: Bewildered - /bəˈwildərd/adjectiveperplexed and confused; very puzzled.--Side story for Stoneheart, told from Romelle's perspective of the events from Chapter 33, do recommend reading that before reading this.
Relationships: Lance & Romelle (Voltron)
Series: Stoneheart: Side Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580962
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Bewildered

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stoneheart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17467529) by [demonsushi01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01). 



> Hey-o!
> 
> If you haven't read Chapter 33 of Stoneheart I _strongly_ recommend you do, otherwise, this contains some spoilers for that chapter!

It’s a high honor for a noblewoman such as yourself to have been chosen to be the princess’ handmaid. But at the same time, it can be quite a burden. You have to ensure your princess is happy, taken care of, never lonely, and the most important thing is: you cannot have a lover before her. It was something you had accepted when you were first asked to be by Allura’s side at thirteen. 

You knew then, that you were not going to live a life remotely normal when compared to the other girls you had grown up with. You knew that if anything about you outshined her, you had to hide it. You had to reform your behavior, become quieter, dress more modest, make sure Allura always stood out against you.

In some aspects, it was easy. You hadn’t been one of the girls who overdressed, you hardly decorated yourself, you were already an odd one. Your natural strangeness made Allura look normal. You could stay being you to an extent and it was great.

In other aspects, it was hard. You two are both brilliant, compassionate, and brave. However, you always reserved yourself, you had to. Or at least in the public view. Allura was kind enough to not enforce it so stringently in private amongst the two of you. 

So even though people often saw you as the dumb one, the plain one, the quiet one, it was okay. You didn’t have to be that way when you were with her alone. Not only that, but you got an additional benefit out of it all, one that had the other girls a bit envious. You got to travel.

Wherever the princess went, you went. You got to see many other lands past Altea’s borders and met with those in alliance with Altea. One of those places you had gone to was Kyo͞obə. It was incredibly different; humid, hot, sandy, and yet so beautiful. It was where you first met Prince Lance.

He had a bright smile, positive attitude, and was a huge flirt. The number of lines he had dropped on you at the time you found annoying. He didn’t know when to quit and you had very frequently smiled through it all. You had been thankful when you returned to Altea.

You saw him again during one of his visits over. You were prepared to deal with his flirtatious nature the way you had before. However, you weren’t his only target anymore, which had made it more bearable. You remember voicing this to Allura herself while you two were in her room one night.

“I hadn’t known it bothered you.” She had said.

“It was, but I’m glad he has other tails to chase now.”

“He’s not chasing anyone’s tail though.”

“What do you mean, princess?”

“Pay attention to him the next time you see him flirt with someone.” Allura smiled and you weren’t sure what she had meant at first.

Then you saw it. The flirts didn’t have any obvious end goal and most of the time they were more compliments than anything else. He’d get the target smiling, maybe laughing, and he’d go about his day. They weren’t for his benefit at all, but for the benefit of making others happy.

It changed the way you had seen him, but you can’t say it’s when you started to catch feelings for him. No, that happened later, much later. 

When he came from his home, eyes cold and a voice gone, you found yourself reaching out for him. For the version of him, you knew was still in there; happy, bright, and wonderful. Slowly, he started to come back out of that dark place he’d been trapped in. He stood by your side and defended you often from the occasional punishments due to your abandonment of your princess. 

He included you in everything. He talked to you at dinner. He hung out with you when you were free. He treated you like a person. He let you be smarter than him. He let you outshine him. And maybe you could say that’s when you started to fall for him.

Then you were shipped to Stoneheart with Coran to ensure the place was acceptable for Allura’s arrival. You got to meet the guards, the house staff, and King Shiro. The way he’d talk about Allura made you smile, you could tell he’d loved her for quite some time and was ready to marry her.

You had been a little surprised that Lance was allowed to come with Allura. Surprised, but happy. He continued to be that bright, sunny, spot as before. He brought you into his trusted circle of friends and you found yourself clicking with Hunk almost immediately.

Hunk understood you. He knew the feeling of crushing on someone a bit out of your reach. The two of you planned on how to help one another get with the other’s crush. He’d hype you up anytime you would plan to meet with Lance. He’d encourage you to tell him. Hunk even excitedly mentioned the confession traditions when it came to the Festival of Embers.

You decided to go with that plan along with him. You knew what you were going to say, what you were going to do. And then Hunk was backpedaling. He was suddenly trying to talk you out of it, pull you down, and you didn’t understand. You still don’t. 

Not when Lance takes you out to the town and you get the gown the two of you had seen earlier. Not when Lance calls you beautiful, or Andromeda, or calls you two a good looking couple. You can feel it, the way he smiles, the words he uses, you  _ know _ there’s something there between you. He’s the one who told you it was perfect timing, after all, he  _ knows _ how you feel about him and thinks it’s fine, he’s the one who will figure out how to make sure you can be together.

He leads you into the carriage so politely and goes out of his way to sit beside you when he could have sat across from you as he did earlier. He rests his hand on yours and doesn’t complain in the slightest when you press against his side. 

“What would you want to do first?” You ask him when you see the pensive look on his face.

“Hmm?” He looks down at you.

“During the night, what would you want to do first?”

“Oh jeez, I don’t know for sure really. I was going to see what Hunk and Pidge had planned on doing since they’d know more about the events going on.” He chuckles and your heart flutters in your chest at the sound.

“Would you want to explore the town more? Like how Shiro and Allura are doing?”

“It would be fun.” He nods in agreement. “I believe Hunk said the Yendailian district is where the biggest theater is.”

“Oh really?” You recall Hunk telling you the same thing.

“They  _ have _ to be putting on some amazing play there.” 

“As long as it doesn’t scare me like the one Allura said Shiro took her to.” You pout. Apparently, it had spooked her quite a bit, though she was laughing it off when she was telling you about it. 

“Aw Romelle, come on. I wouldn’t let anything hurt you. You know that right?” He smiles.  _ That smile, bright and sunny. _

“You’d protect me?” You raise an eyebrow. You know he would, he always has, that valiant soul.

“I wouldn’t make for a good Perseus if I didn’t, now would I? You mean a lot to me after all.” He tells you. You find your heart crawling up your throat and you can’t take it anymore. You sit upright and turn to him, your free hand balling up in your skirt.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asks, concern written all over his face.

“I… I have something I need to tell you.” You admit.

“Alright. What’s up?” 

“I’ve been trying to hold it back until later, but I just -- I just can’t anymore. I feel like I’m going to explode.” 

“Hey, it’s okay. Whatever it is, I got you. Okay?”

“I…” You pause for a moment, your eyes searching his. You can see the care he has for you in them.

“Yes?” He presses gently, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. You lick your lips and take a deep breath, eyes falling shut. Your hands move, cupping his jaw as you lean in quickly. Your lips press against his and you feel everything fall into place.

He’s warm in your hands, solid, and strong. The speech you had prepared goes out of the window as you try and put everything you feel into the kiss. His hands rest on your shoulders, pushing you back slowly, reluctantly.

And then everything spills out of you.

“I just can’t hide it anymore,” You whisper, your lips brushing against his as you speak. “I’m quite deeply in love with you, Lance.”

“I…”

“No one makes me feel the way you do. You make me feel beautiful and special and so  _ important _ . And I know, I’m reaching above my class and you would be stooping down low to be with me, but we could make it work. Just like you said.”

“Um…” He blinks. You lean back a bit, give him room to breathe as you wait for a response from him. But one doesn’t come. Where you saw care and concern in his eyes is now confusion. His lips twitch with words that don’t come out.  _ Oh. _

“Oh… I messed this all up, didn’t I?” You ask softly. 

“I… Romelle, look, I’m flattered that you feel this way about me. But, I don’t feel the same way, and I’m sorry.”

“I don’t understand.” You look down at your hands, folded neatly on your skirt. It makes no sense. You saw the signs, you understood the words, so what happened?

“Romelle, I care about you, you’re my friend.” 

“Is there someone else?” You tighten your grip on your hands. It’s the only explanation you can think of. If there’s someone else, he probably told Hunk. Which would explain why Hunk was trying to talk you out of this confession.

“Romelle…”

“Please, it’s okay if you’re honest. I need to know.” _Who is it?_ _Is it someone you know?_

“You deserve some honesty but I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He hesitates.

“Please.” You whisper. He falls silent for a few moments and then he sighs. It’s a shot through your heart before he even says anything. That sigh alone is telling enough.

“There is someone else.” He admits. You nod, feeling a sob trying to claw its way out of your chest. You don’t allow it and heave a shuddering breath.

“Thank you, for telling me.” 

“Romelle…” He rests a hand on your shoulder but it doesn’t give you comfort. It burns.

“Not now.” You beg him.

“...I understand.” He says, and you know he does.

“Thank you.”

The rest of the way to the castle is in painful silence. How long has he liked someone else? How did you not see it? Who was it that had stolen his heart away before you even had a chance to offer yours? Did he ever  _ actually _ know about your feelings before now?

The moment the carriage stops you fling the door open and get out as quickly as possible. You need the space to breathe, to think, without him next to you. You make yourself scarce for a while, knowing that Coran has Allura covered for the time being. You walk through the gardens and sit heavily on one of the fountains. 

Then you’re curling over your lap, covering your face, and allowing yourself to cry. It won’t be the last wave of tears, you know that for sure, your heart is simply too big for your body. But for the time being, it helps relieve some of the pressure there. You sit up, dry your face, and take a deep breath. 

A walk around the gardens should help calm you down, you decide. You trail your fingers along the flowers you pass and admire the stone statues you see. Though one of them does make you pause, if mainly for the fact you knew it wasn’t there the day before. You approach it curiously.

It’s a grotesque, though you feel like the word doesn’t quite suit the statue. It’s staring, longingly if you had to guess, off in the distance. You sigh softly.

“Me too.” You murmur, reaching up and patting its hand. 

“Lady Romelle!” A voice calls behind you. You turn and smile at the gardener who approaches you.

“Marius! It’s good to see you again.”

“I must say the honor is mine.” He chuckles. He looks at the statue you’re in front of with confusion. 

“Everything okay?” You ask him.

“Yeah.” He shakes his head. “Could’ve sworn I saw this fella somewhere else the other day. But maybe the King didn’t like him there.”

“Makes sense.” You nod. He turns and trims the bush near him.

“Have you heard?” He asks.

“Heard what?” You step closer to him, watching him clip the dead branches.

“King Shiro made quite a controversial choice in court today, we’ve all been talking about it.”

“Oh?” Controversies can become quite an issue, especially with the wedding being soon.

“Yes! A woman with bruises on her arms came to ask him if she could be separated from her husband. She said he’d grown mean and spiteful to her. And normally, the other spouse has to be present, or else they’d have to come another day.” Marius explains. “But King Shiro simply looked at her and told her that she should now consider herself a free woman. He had her divorced without the husband being present!”

“Oh wow.” You whisper. 

“It’s incredible! But as with any choice he makes, people stand on either side of his decision.” He shakes his head.

“Where do you stand?” You ask curiously.

“I agree with him.” He frowns. “My pops would hurt me and my mama. She couldn’t be free from him and you know what happened to her when she got me free?” 

“What?”

“He killed her.” He sighs. 

“That’s awful!”

“It is. That’s why I’m glad King Shiro did what he did. It probably saved her life.” He steps away from the bush and turns to you once more.

“What happened to your father?”

“I don’t know, but I like to think the Beast snatched him up.” He tells you.

“Why?” You furrow your brows.

“It’s what she does, she makes people disappear.”

“She?” 

“Oh come on, there’s no way the Beast is  _ male _ . Ladies are more about vengeance than guys. No offense to you, Lady Romelle.” He chuckles.

“I don’t know, I might have to enact vengeance on you.” You tease. This is nice, it loosens the knots in your heart. You walk with Marius a bit longer before bidding him a good rest of his day and slipping inside the castle. 

You talk with a few others on your way to meet up with Allura once more. As Marius said, many tell you their opinion of the judgment Shiro had given. Some think he was tricked, too soft-hearted, and gullible. While others support him and agree that he made the right choice. 

You talk with guards who complain about the strange tightening and sudden relaxation of security yesterday. You talk with maids who make faces at the bedrooms and halls they cleaned. You talk with house staff who make sure the decorations are what the King and Princess want. You talk with the cooks who work quickly to get food ready for the upcoming party.

And eventually, you find yourself by Allura’s side once more. You join her on her walk to her room as she tells you about the day she’s had so far. You hold the door open for her and she steps inside. She walks over to her vanity and sits in front of it, humming at her reflection.

You pick up the brush on the vanity and start to carefully run it through her hair. Her eyes fall shut as she relaxes.

“What about you?” Allura asks.

“What about me, princess?”

“How was your trip into town?” Her eyes open up and she looks at you in the mirror. You smile, despite how you feel, an art you’ve long since mastered.

“It was good. I found the gown and got a mask to go with it.” You tell her.

“I was wondering what it looked like. Regris had come up to me earlier and asked me for permission to drop it off in here.” She gestures towards her closet where you’d guess your gown is hanging up now.

“Oh! I must have forgotten all about it being in the carriage.” You chuckle. “Silly me.”

“Do try to remember next time?” Allura gives you a small smile.

“I shall.” You nod, setting the brush aside. You pick up a hair tie and gather a few strands of her hair up in your fingers.

“And how was Lance?” She asks as you carefully braid the strands together.

“A perfect gentleman, as usual.” Because he was. Even if he hurt you, he was still kind about it.

“I’m glad to hear that. I’m always worried about him.” 

“I know.” You never once mentioned to Allura about your feelings towards Lance. Not even when the two of you would talk about these things. You know how quickly gossip spreads around the castle and you know not everyone would agree with how high you would have been reaching out of your social standing.

You suppose it doesn’t quite matter right now. Allura stands and moves to her closet, probably looking for something to wear for dinner. You however stare at your face in the mirror. You look miserable. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. When you open them, you look… better. 

Your eyes also catch on the odd, grey stain in the corner of the mirror. It looks like it has gotten bigger. You press your fingers against it but feel nothing that could be causing it. You frown and make a mental note to see if it could be replaced.

“What do you think about this one?” Allura holds a gown against her and you turn to face her.

“It looks perfect.” You tell her. She nods in agreement and hangs it on the closet door. 

“Can you help me, please?” She gestures to what she’s currently wearing and you quickly stride over.

Once she’s dressed in her new outfit you follow her out to meet up with Shiro. The two happily talk about the decorations and a few more plans about the festival. Your fingers busy themselves with your skirt as they talk. It hurts.

Allura tells you she’d be right back, citing something she had forgotten in her room and casually slips away, leaving you and Shiro alone together. He watches her go with a warm smile and you find envy crawling under your skin.

“Will you both really slip away from everyone that night?” You ask.

“That’s a secret.” He winks and presses a finger to his lips. Allura’s lucky to have him. 

When Allura comes back, you don’t notice anything she could have forgotten on her. You think it might have been an excuse to interrogate Lance alone, make sure he was nothing but a gentleman to you. She still believes you find his flirting to be too much for you and never wants him to make you uncomfortable. 

It’s nice of her, but you wished she wouldn’t right now. Though she does happily report to you and Shiro that Lance will not be joining you for dinner. He’s going to entertain Hunk and Pidge for the night. But that’s not unusual for him. You wonder if they’ve heard about what happened between you two.

“And Romelle?” Allura gets your attention.

“Yes, princess?”

“Can you bring them up their dinner when it’s ready, please?” She smiles. 

“Of course.” You say, your grin fake. You wait until you see Ulaz with them before leaving for the kitchens, pressing your hands to your chest as if to keep your heart in there.

But of course, it doesn’t last long. You find tears welling up against your wishes and you manage to tuck yourself in a corner to let it out before continuing on your way once more. When the cooks see you, you blame your teary face on the onions. They nod in understanding, one advising you to breathe through your mouth while another says to hold a piece of bread in between your lips. The two argue about it as they load up the tray for you to take.

You take the tray up to Lance’s room, pausing outside the door for a moment. You don’t think you’re ready to see him, but you have no choice in this matter. You swallow the knot in your throat down, pat your face once more, and knock on the door. You don’t hear a response but Lance pulls the door open, you quickly duck your face for now.

“For you, Prince Lance.” You offer him the tray.

“Romelle…” He trails off as if he has something he wants to say. The tray is taken from your hands and you blink with surprise when you watch Pidge shove it into Lance’s arms.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” They ask you.

“Me?”  _ Why on earth do they want to talk with you? _

“Yeah. Me and you, alone.” They slip out of Lance’s room and turn to him. “Can you keep my food warm please?”

“Sure.” He nods, confused. Pidge closes the door shut behind them and then turns to you.

“Um…” You’re not sure what to do. Pidge hasn’t always been the most friendly person to you after all, though you do suppose they have been warming up to you recently.

“This way.” They snag you by your wrist and pull you away from the bedroom. They lead you further down the hallway before pulling you into one of the various rooms in the castle. 

“What’s all this about?” You ask. Pidge lets go of you and you fully expect some sort of threat, they  _ are _ Lance’s friend first.

“How are you doing?” They ask instead, sitting on one of the tables in the room.

“What?”

“How are you holding up?” 

“I… I don’t understand why you’re asking me.”

“Because I have the feeling you haven’t talked about what happened between you and Lance with anyone, therefore, no one else is gonna check on you. That and I’m faster than Hunk.” They shrug. You sigh and lean against the table across from them.

“So he did tell you.” You expected it sure, but it still causes you to frown.

“Yeah, he did. But you’re dodging my question.”

“What do you expect me to say?” 

“The truth. It’s okay, to be honest with me. I mean, it’s not like I’m anyone  _ important _ .” They swing their legs back and forth. “Plus, I promise I’m not going to go back and tattle to Lance. This is between us. Confused heart to confused heart.”

“...I’m hurt.” You admit. “I’m upset with myself because I  _ must _ have read too much into his actions. I’m embarrassed I made a move on him when he didn’t feel the same way. But more than anything, I’m afraid I hurt him and he’s upset with me.” You play with your skirt.

“That’s a lot of understandable feelings.” They nod.

“I know I really should apologize to him, but I’m not ready to do that yet. Lance and I both need space when we’re hurt and I want to make sure we’re both actually ready before I try.” 

“I can’t exactly speak for Lance’s feelings at the moment. I know he’s confused at the least and trying to figure out what to do about it.”

“He should be mad at me. I mean, I kissed him.”

“Yeah, he said. Also told us it was his first kiss.” 

“What?” Your gaze snaps to them. You hadn’t known that.

“That’s what he told us.”

“Oh my gosh, now I feel even worse!” You cover your face with your hands and whine into them. “I didn’t even ask him for permission! And I know how much he cared about it! I thought -- ugh, I’m so stupid!” 

“Hey, relax. I had a weird first kiss. So did Hunk.” Pidge tells you.

“How weird?” You ask, peeking at them from between your fingers. They sigh and look up at the ceiling.

“I kissed a friend of mine. Kinda had this crush on them you know? They uh… weren’t happy about it either.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“Well, we stopped being friends honestly. They couldn’t get over the fact we kissed.”

“...Do you think that Lance will…”

“Doubt it. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would.” Pidge grunts. “Anyway, um. I know how it feels to fall in love with a friend. It’s hard and a lot seems at stake.”

“Because you could lose their friendship.” You rest your hands in your lap again.

“Not only that but there’s this fear. You can be a good or even a great friend, but how well does that translate into an intimate relationship?” They look over at you again.

“Sounds like you have quite the experience.” 

“I do.” Pidge smiles weakly. “I keep falling in love with my friends. It sucks sometimes, frustrating even. They just are these wonderful people you know, and then my heart suddenly goes, ‘hey, you know what would be great?’ and then throws itself at them.” They roll their eyes. You chuckle softly, hiding it behind your hand. They snort as well, finding the humor in it.

“Anyway. For me, most of the friends have come and gone. Some last longer than others though.” 

“So love just comes to you?” You ask.

“Not intentionally.”

“Well, I know  _ that _ feeling. As Allura’s handmaid, I can’t exactly go  _ looking _ for love. I’m supposed to stay by her side, never gaining a relationship with anyone before she is wed.” You look at your hands in your lap. “I’ve been waiting for love to come to me then. I thought… I thought Lance was that person since he always came to me.” 

“Yeah. He keeps looking for people.” 

“...Does he go to the person he has feelings for?” You ask curiously.

“He does. And that person looks for him too.”

“Are they happy?”

“They’re being babies about it actually.” They say and you glance up at them.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s obvious to us they both like each other, but they’re both too shy to say anything yet.” Pidge rolls their eyes. “I mean, I can’t say much about it without being a hypocrite.”

“I suppose I can’t either.” You huff a soft laugh.

“Eh, you could. At least someone around here isn’t afraid to admit their feelings.”

“I think… After the wedding, I’m going to travel and look around.” You hum.

“For someone?” They tilt their head.

“No, for myself. That way, I can learn what I like and what I don’t want in a partner.” 

“That’s a pretty good idea.” Pidge nods. You play with the hem of your skirt for a moment.

“What are traits you like?” You ask them.

“Oh boy.” They groan. “I like them smart, but not a smart ass, you know? Good work ethics, willing to collaborate, ready to call me out on my shit when I’m in the wrong even if it hurts me.” 

“That does sound like a good friend.” You find yourself smiling.

“Yeah, that seems to be a requirement of mine too? Have to be friends first.” 

“And ones you don’t like?”

“Gods above I can’t stand it when they’re a prick. Like, I’m the salty one, we both can’t be jerks. Or someone who has a negative comment for everything? Hate it. Nothing ticks me off more. We get it, you’re a pissbaby.” They cross their arms and huff.

“Only you can be one?” You joke. They wince but don’t respond to that.

“Okay, tell me about Lance, what traits did he have in his favor?” They ask instead.

“He’s attentive, smart, charming, and he made me feel so  _ good _ and important.” 

“And his negatives?”

“Well…” You haven’t thought about that before.

“Come on, he’s not a god, he  _ has _ to have negatives.” Pidge points out.

“He lies, quite a bit. It’s usually to save face, but I know he does it a lot. He puts on this mask so well you wouldn’t be able to see through it. I thought I had but I’m clearly wrong.” You frown.

“What else?”

“He’s a showoff. Always has to be the best at whatever he does and you have to know it.” You cross your arms. 

“Keep it going.” Pidge encourages.

“He never talks about himself yet willingly hands off pieces of himself to anyone who needs it. It’s like he can’t be selfish and protect himself from what others want.” You find your vision of him shifting once again.

“And yet, he’s a good friend.” Pidge leans back on their table.

“Yeah… he is.” You sigh.

“So… what are you going to do?” They ask.

“I’m going to take the time I need, the time Lance needs, and be… okay. I like his company, and I want to keep spending time with him. Even if that’s as his friend.” You look over to them.

“Sounds good.” They nod.

“...You don’t have a crush on him, do you?” You find yourself asking.

“What?” They blink.

“Well, you mention you have crushes on your friends.” You point out.

“No. Not Lance. He’s nice and all but, not my kind of person. Too secretive.” They wave their hand in dismissal  
  
“He can be.” You nod in agreement. The two of you fall silent once more. You’re feeling better about everything. You push yourself off the table and dust your skirt off. You should be heading back to the dining hall for dinner after all.

“Thank you for talking to me, Pidge. I know you and I haven’t gotten along all that well in the past, but this was nice.” You smile at them. 

“Listen, um.” They get up as well, hand snagging your wrist before you can start to walk away.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.” 

“For?” You tilt your head.

“I’ve been a total jerkwad to you and I said a lot of things that I shouldn’t have. I was… envious of how you and Hunk have been getting along.” They admit, a blush rising to their face as they look away.

“Hunk and I?” 

“I thought…” They lick their lips. “I thought you liked Hunk.” 

“Oh!” You find a laugh bubbling out of you without meaning to. “No, Hunk and I are friends only. He’s sweet and all, but he has no interest in me.”

“None?” They ask, uncertain. You smile and shake your head.

“Not an ounce.”

“Oh.”

“His interests lie a bit closer than you think though.” You press a finger to your lips. They furrow their brows in confusion but you wink in response. 

“But… he’s not interested in guys. At least, not when we last talked.” 

“Closer than Lance.” You snicker.

“But who is closer than…” They trail off, confused.

“Oh now, come on. You’re brilliant after all.” You tease. They look up at you, and you grin widely when you see a glimmer of hope in their face. You pull them with you out of the room. You’re glad that you helped Hunk by nudging Pidge in the right direction, especially since you now know they like him back. 

It’s bittersweet, but you’re glad the two will be happy now instead of failing to connect and missing out. You thank them for talking with you once more and let them know you’re heading to the dining hall. You feel much lighter on your feet now and your smile at dinner isn’t as hard to put on as before. 

**Author's Note:**

> Does this make up for what happened? 
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments below or over at Demon-Sushi on tumblr!


End file.
